In EAD Annual Report 2018

The Reserve Bank's Diversity Profile

At the end of June 2018, the Reserve Bank employed 1,362 people. As with the 2017 data, the
diversity profile in the Bank remains relatively stable overall. The numbers of Indigenous
Australian employees and those who report they have a disability have been little changed
(Graph 1). There has been an increase in both
employees born overseas from a non-English-speaking background (NESB) and employees with
parents from a NESB. Women held 44 per cent of positions, up 1.7 per cent in the last year
and 34 per cent of management positions as at 30 June 2018, an increase of 2 percentage
points from 2017.

Graph 1

Work-life Integration

Initiatives

The attraction and retention of skilled and experienced employees is affected by policies,
practices and a culture that encourages and supports employees to manage their career and
other life commitments. During 2017/18, the Flexibility ERG focused on normalising
flexibility across the Bank with the development and improvement of guidelines, resources
and information. This has been achieved through: the development of case studies designed to
challenge the perception that flexible work arrangements relate only to women or parents of
young children; the implementation of manager training; and a toolkit to assist managers to
confidently approve and manage flexible work requests. These resources support a culture in
which flexible arrangements are part of our routine way of working across all levels of the
Bank. There has been a focus on encouraging the default view that any role can be flexible,
while recognising that some roles might have limited flexibility. All requests for flexible
work are given due consideration and supported wherever possible.

To assist employees with integrating work and personal commitments, the Bank also has an
active health and wellbeing program. This includes:

the continued provision of an Employee Assistance Program, which provides confidential
professional counselling and support to employees and members of their immediate
families, via phone and face-to-face meetings. The service was accessed by 85 employees
and 21 family members of employees during 2017/18

sponsoring a 30-day ‘Health Challenge’ program to promote healthy
behaviours, in which 220 employees participated

the provision of fitness facilities and classes at Head Office, as well as fitness
arrangements for employees in interstate and overseas offices

influenza vaccinations being made available to all employees at no cost

training for managers and employees in recognising and addressing potential mental
health issues.

The Bank has a number of initiatives to promote family-friendly workplace practices,
including:

the option to access a second year of parental leave as an employment entitlement

providing a dedicated Parent's Room. This facility was re-accredited by the
Australian Breastfeeding Association during the reporting period

providing a ‘parental leave toolkit’ which informs employees of their
entitlements and the resources available to support them before, during and after
parental leave

holding a series of information sessions for staff on recent improvements to the Bank's
policy and guidelines on flexible working arrangements.

Consistent with the Bank's core value of contributing to the economic prosperity and
welfare of the Australian people, the Bank encourages employees to participate in the
broader community by supporting involvement in philanthropic pursuits in a number of ways.
In particular, it matches all donations made by employees through the Bank's Benevolent
Fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The Bank also has a Volunteer Day Program, where
employees use a day of annual leave helping at an eligible charity, and the Bank donates to
that charity the equivalent of one day's pay.

Profile

To help monitor work/life integration, the Bank looks at a number of different indicators,
including:

the take-up of part-time and other flexible work arrangements

parental leave usage

the use of carer's leave

the take-up of the Bank's purchased leave scheme.

The Bank launched a Flexible Work Policy in August 2015. During the reporting period, the
Flexibility ERG provided updated information session for managers and employees to raise
awareness of the policy and highlight some revised resources, including a manager toolkit.

During 2017/18, 9.9 per cent of employees worked part time. This represents an increase from
the previous year (Graph 3). More women than men are
participating in part-time arrangements at a ratio of over 4:1. Some points to note about
part-time employees include:

86 per cent of employees working part time do so for at least six days per fortnight (Graph 2)

8.4 per cent of Managers work part time.

Graph 2

Graph 3

There has been a slight increase in the number of employees working part time, up 1.2 per
cent to 9.9 per cent. The number of female employees working part time has increased by 1.4 per cent,
while males have decreased slightly.

During the reporting period, 17 women and 27 men commenced parental leave, representing 3.2
per cent of employees.

More men than women access parental leave (Graph 4).
However women typically take a longer parental leave break than men. Over 80 per cent of men
accessing parental leave take one month or less, whereas women typically take between six
and 24 months, unless they are a secondary carer (Graph 5).

Graph 4

Graph 5

Upon their return, 85 per cent of women take up a part-time role. In the reporting period,
one woman resigned after completing parental leave (Graph 6).

Graph 6

Approximately 45 per cent of employees accessed carer's leave in 2017/18, almost eight
percentage points above the 10-year average (Graph 7).
Men accounted for 61 per cent of those taking carer's leave, compared with 39 per cent
women (Graph 8).

The Bank's Purchased Leave Scheme enables employees to request up to four weeks
additional leave in a year. A total of 52 employees purchased extra leave during the
reporting period, 35 per cent of whom also accessed the scheme last year (Graph 9). One-third purchased an additional four
weeks leave and another one-third purchased two weeks leave (Graph 10).
Two-thirds of users were in the 40-plus age groups.

Graph 7

Graph 8

Graph 9

Graph 10

Gender

Initiatives

Comparable to the Australia-wide share of employment, 44 per cent of the Bank's
employees are female (Graph 11). The representation
of women in management at the Bank has typically been lower, but has increased in recent
years. Eighteen per cent of women employed by the Bank are managers (Graph 12).

Graph 11

Graph 12

In April 2015, the Bank announced that a key commitment of its work in diversity and
inclusion is to achieve the appropriate representation of women in management positions
across the Bank. Women currently hold 34 per cent of management positions (Graph 13). To track our progress on this priority,
a gender target was introduced of 35 per cent of managerial positions to be filled by women
by 2020. In 2017, the long-term gender target was increased to 50 per cent. Ensuring that
all candidates of merit are provided with equal career opportunities remains fundamental to
selection and career advancement decisions.

Graph 13

In addition, the Gender Equity ERG has organised events and provided information through the
following initiatives:

recognition of International Women's Day included a themed event, ‘Press for
Progress’, to align with the day's theme. Guest speakers were Libby Lyons
(Director of Workplace Gender Equality Agency) and Catherine Fox (journalist and author
of Stop Fixing Women and 7 Myths about Women and Work)

collaborated with other ERGs to research strategies to ensure recruitment, performance
reviews and promotion processes are more gender neutral. This has contributed to changes
in the way positions are advertised internally and externally

worked with HR to create a primer to help managers in the Bank override their
unconscious biases during the performance review process

maintained a blog to provide an outlet for the research on such topics as Female Board
Representation, Eliminating Everyday Sexism and Gender Equity Policy that has been done
by members of the group

further awareness of diversity and inclusion initiatives was achieved during the ERG
Week Expo held in May. ERG members were able to share information about initiatives with
colleagues and encourage support from people from all areas of the Bank.

Profile

Female Employment

At the end of June 2018, 595 women were employed at the Bank. This represents an increase of
1.6 per cent on the previous year, again reflecting, in part, the focus on actively
recruiting and investing in a pipeline of female talent.

The continuing evolution of the Bank to being an organisation comprising of predominately
professional staff has continued. The number of women in professional roles has risen each
year since 2015. Of particular note, women now hold three of the five Assistant Governor
positions at the Bank.

During the year to June 2018, 37 per cent of promotions were awarded to female employees,
lower than both the female employment share (44 per cent) and the 10-year average (45 per
cent). This result is the lowest result since 2009 (Graph 14).

Also, at the end of June 2018, women accounted for 50 per cent of total new recruits,
notably higher than the 10-year average of 41 per cent (Graph 15).
In the reporting year, the number of female graduate recruits exceeded the number of males
for the first time. Fifteen female graduates commenced at the Bank in 2018, compared with 13
male graduates.

Graph 14

Graph 15

A total of 229 employees exited the business in the reporting period (including
retirements). The majority of exits were in the 30–39 age group (78) and the 20–29
age group (58). Women accounted for 39 per cent of exits, less than their share of
employment (Graph 16).

Graph 16

Continuing the focus on leadership development, the Bank partnered with Bendelta to develop
and deliver the Engaging Leaders Program, aimed at Level 5 managers. The program focuses on
self-awareness, leadership style and engagement skills. Participants also learn how to
create a psychologically safe environment and take ownership of issues to achieve outcomes.

Age

Profile

The average age of Bank employees has remained steady at around 38 since 2008 (Graph 17).

Graph 17

Compared with the overall labour force, the Bank has a relatively young workforce; 37 per
cent of all employees are under the age of 35 and 69 per cent under the age of 45 (Graph 18). This is largely a result of the Bank's
hiring practices; reflecting the role of the graduate, internship and traineeship programs,
around one-third of hiring each year is of younger workers under the age of 25 (Graph 19).

Graph 18

Graph 19

Employees eligible for retirement accounted for 9 per cent of exits during 2017/18. More
than half of employees leaving the Bank do so before the age of 39. (Graph 20).

Graph 20

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI)

Initiatives

The Bank has furthered its efforts to promote LGBTI inclusion in 2017/18. The LGBTI+ Allies
ERG has continued its focus on raising awareness of LGBTI issues within the Bank, providing
advice to the Bank on LGBTI workplace inclusion, and providing a safe and effective peer
support network for LGBTI staff and allies. The Bank remains an active member of Pride in
Diversity (PiD), a not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTI workplace inclusion,
and sent a delegate to its annual conference and had staff participate in a number of member
workshops and roundtables.

To assess the current state of LGBTI inclusion, the Bank participated for the first time in
PiD's Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), a national benchmark on LGBTI
workplace inclusion. While the Bank achieved an overall score that was broadly in line with
the average for other public sector organisations, the AWEI results also highlighted a
number of possible opportunities to improve LGBTI workplace inclusion that the ERG is
currently considering. Improving the Bank's ability to deliver targeted LGBTI awareness
training to staff is one priority. The ERG has been developing options for LGBTI awareness
training to be included as part of the Bank's general diversity awareness program.

The ERG has continued to raise the Bank's LGBTI awareness through Bank-wide initiatives
aimed at celebrating LGBTI days of significance, such as Wear It Purple Day and the
International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB). These initiatives
have helped inform and engage a growing group of allies and supporters within the Bank. The
ERG has recently sought to galvanise this support through the launch of a broader RBA Pride
Network for LGBTI staff and allies within the Bank.

ERG members have continued to engage with LGBTI staff networks at a number of other
organisations, such as APRA and ASIC, to share experiences and learn about successful
initiatives. Bank staff have also participated in meetings of an ‘Interbank LGBTI
Network’ that brings together representatives from a wide range of financial sector
organisations to share experiences on LGBTI workplace inclusion.

During the reporting period, the Bank hosted a panel discussion on LGBTI workplace inclusion
organised in collaboration with the LGBTI staff networks at APRA, ASIC and the ATO and The
Pinnacle Foundation. The external panellists were prominent businesswomen and LGBTI
diversity advocates and the discussion was moderated by the Assistant Governor (Economic)
Luci Ellis, who is the Executive Sponsor of the Bank's LGBTI+ Allies ERG. Bank staff
also had the opportunity to participate in a number of similar events hosted by other
organisations during the reporting period.

Further recognition was achieved by the announcement of Luci Ellis as one of Deloitte's
‘Out 50’, a recognition of Australia's 50 outstanding LGBTI Leaders of 2018.
This list recognises individuals who are changing perceptions and creating more inclusive
workplaces and communities.

As a way to raise the external profile of its LGBTI inclusion goals and attract talent, the
Bank has established an online profile on the ‘LGBTI Inclusive Employers’
website hosted by PiD.

Disability/Accessibility

Initiatives

The Bank's Silver Membership with the Australian Network on Disability (AND) has allowed
ongoing consultation with AND to refine our Accessibility Action Plan and seek guidance on
best practice in the recruitment and employment of people with disabilities.

During the reporting period, there has been continued development and improvement of the
Workplace Adjustments Guideline. In addition, access to information to assist all employees
to enable accessibility features on devices used and make necessary adjustments to their own
workspace.

AND have also provided the Bank with two interns as part of the Stepping Into program. This
program provides university students with disability to complete a paid internship of a
minimum of 152 hours during semester break.

Further awareness-raising was achieved during the ERG Week Expo held in May. ERG members
were able to share information about initiatives with colleagues and encourage support from
people from all areas of the Bank.

The ERG has organised events and provided information through the following initiatives:

recognising United Nations Day of People with Disability by hosting a panel discussion
attended by over 40 employees

publishing an Accessibility Employee Resources Group Strategy brochure and other
collateral, which have been distributed across the Bank

delivering an Immersive Experience Workshop on Mobility in conjunction with Global
Accessibility Awareness Day

hosting the Accessibility and Web Development Meet-up, which included a presentation
entitled ‘The Dark Side of Screen Readers’, delivered by Sean Murphy,
Accessibility Software Engineer at Cisco Systems Australia Pty Ltd.

Profile

The proportion of employees who identified as having a disability was 2.1 per cent as at
June 2018 (Graph 21). As data are provided on a
voluntary basis, there may be some under-reporting and some employees may not wish to
declare a disability.

Indigenous Australians

Initiatives

To promote the inclusion of Indigenous Australians in the workplace, the Bank received
endorsement of its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) from Reconciliation Australia in
June 2018. Key commitments contained in the Bank's Reflect RAP include:

establishing protocols for Acknowledgement of Country for key meetings and events at
Bank sites

developing an overarching recruitment strategy for which consideration is given to
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

providing a progress report on developing protocols for obtaining counsel and input from
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the design of banknotes.

To raise employees' awareness on Indigenous Australian history and culture, the Bank
celebrated National Reconciliation Week in 2018. The highlight of this was the permanent
raising of the Aboriginal flag from the Bank's head office in Sydney and installing
Aboriginal flags in public areas of all Bank locations. The Bank also celebrated NAIDOC Week
in July 2017. This involved exhibits of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works of art
from the Bank's archival collections, and encouraged staff to view and learn the
histories associated with these through educational talks.

Additionally, the Bank continued its focus on increasing the representation of employees
from an Indigenous Australian background through a number of avenues, including:

the redesign of the Bank's Traineeship Program to facilitate the employment of
Indigenous Australian school leavers as business administration trainees. In 2018, the
Bank has partnered with My Gateway, a Campbelltown-based apprentice and traineeship
support organisation dedicated to providing opportunities for Indigenous youth

continuation of the Bank's internship for Indigenous Australian university students.
In 2017/18, four students were recruited for internships across semester breaks. One of
the 2017 interns has been offered a place on the Graduate Program upon completion of
studies. The internship is facilitated by CareerTrackers, a non-profit agency that works
with organisations to provide work experience, networking and professional development
opportunities for Indigenous Australian university students. In 2018/19, the Bank will
investigate expanding its participation in the CareerTrackers Internship Program

opportunities for Indigenous Australian applicants were highlighted when advertising the
internship program on graduate job boards.

Indigenous Australians continue to account for a small proportion of employees, at 0.1 per
cent (Graph 22). This is lower than the
representation in the Australian community and the broader Australian workforce. It is,
however, comparable to the proportion of Indigenous Australians working in occupational
groups similar to those at the Bank. CareerTrackers interns are employed for fixed-term
periods throughout the year and not all were employed as at 30 June. My Gateway Business
Administration Trainees are employed by My Gateway and are not included in this count.

Graph 22

Race and Culture

Initiatives

The Race and Cultural Identity ERG continued to celebrate and raise awareness of cultural
diversity and relevant topics across the Bank. In the past year, a variety of culturally
diverse events have been celebrated at the Bank: significant policy-related work has been
conducted through a Bank-wide discussion panel; participation in a leading industry
leadership program; and collaboration on cultural research analysis with the Human Rights
Commission.

In March 2018, staff from Head Office, Business Resumption Site and Craigieburn participated
in Harmony Day celebrations. Staff shared food and stories from their different cultural
backgrounds and, in doing so, celebrated the Bank's cultural diversity. The event took
advantage of the significant national profile of Harmony Day in order to raise awareness of
cultural diversity in the workplace and broader population.

In addition, throughout the year, the ERG has supported a variety of cultural days of
significance including Lunar New Year, Diwali, St Patrick's Day and Australia Day.

In late 2017, the ERG hosted a Bank-wide panel discussion on the topic ‘Why does
cultural diversity matter?’. Panel members included the Australian Race Discrimination
Commissioner, a non-executive director of AMP as well as members of the Bank's senior
leaders and staff. The discussion covered themes such as why diversity matters, the benefits
of having a culturally diverse workforce and the importance of role models from diverse
backgrounds. More than 100 staff attended the event.

The ERG has also begun collaborations with the Bank's Gender Equity ERG and other
government agencies and organisations on items of common interest.

In early 2018, members of the ERG worked with the Australian Human Rights Commission to
obtain more accurate estimates of race and cultural diversity within the Australian
population.

The ERG participated in an inaugural leadership program on cultural diversity facilitated by
the University of Sydney. Bank-wide cultural awareness training is also being trialed for
employees.

Profile

The proportion of Bank employees who identified as having been born overseas or from a NESB
has been relatively consistent at around one-third of staff (Graph 23).

Graph 23

The representation of these employees at the Bank is significantly higher than their
representation in the Australian community and is higher than that of the Australian
workforce. Most employees from an NESB originate from India, China and the Philippines.

Design for The Australian, Shireen Nolan; photo: Nick Cubbin, Sam Mooy and Getty ImagesThe Deal featured a number of senior women at the Bank including
(clockwise from top left) Michele Bullock, Assistant Governor (Financial
System); Marion Kohler, Head of Domestic Markets Department; Alex Heath, Head of
Economic Analysis Department; and Luci Ellis, Assistant Governor (Economic)